Caputo: Rodgers, Megatron among NFL's best

The NFL Network, after polling players, recently finalized its list of the Top 100 players in the league. They have Minnesota Vikings’ running back Adrian Peterson as the top player in the NFL. Denver Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning is second. The Lions’ terrific wide receiver Calvin Johnson is third. My list is different at the top end. This is my list of the NFL’s Top 10 players:

1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers – With all due respect to Peterson, it’s a passing league and the running back position doesn’t carry nearly the value it did decades ago. The best all-around QB in the NFL is Rodgers. He passes with extraordinary accuracy, has good arm strength and is exceptionally mobile.

2. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots – A truly great quarterback makes those around him much better. It seems like every veteran player on the downside, a younger player who can’t quite make it in another program, or a castoff lands on New England’s offense and becomes productive. And it isn’t just about his guile, feel for the game and leadership qualities. Brady is a terrific passer.

3. Calvin Johnson, wide receiver, Detroit Lions – The two-year snapshot of Johnson in 2011 and 2012 suggests utter brilliance. Setting the NFL’s single-season receiving yardage mark last season while playing with broken fingers and without much of a surrounding cast of receivers was incredible. He was every bit as good the season before, coming through with one clutch and difficult catch after another for a team making the playoffs for the first time in a dozen years. Johnson’s combination of size, speed, athleticism, competitive character and soft hands makes him the best non-quarterback in today’s NFL.

4. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans – Brees is a better QB than Peyton Manning at this point. He had a phenomenal 2012 season under the circumstances. The Saints’ defense was awful, his head coach taken away by scandal and the Saints were in the middle of controversy over “Bounty Gate.” Yet, it was like Brees single-handedly keep the Saints together with a 5,000-yard, 43-TD pass season. Put him in Denver, and the Broncos might have won the Super Bowl.

5. J.J. Watt, defensive end, Houston – Watt topped 20 sacks last season, and although that’s an impressive statistic by any measure, it only begins to tell the tale of his full value. He is not an edge pass rush specialist. Rather, he is a traditional 3-4 defensive end, who is also outstanding defensing the run. Watt is potentially the greatest 3-4 defensive end of all time. He is that great.

6. Adrian Peterson, running back, Minnesota Vikings – Peterson is like a runaway freight train, breaking tackles everywhere as he roams. He has straight-line speed and is a throwback to the days when a great running back could carry a team. The Vikings were 10-6 last season and did make the playoffs. Peterson almost broke the NFL single-season rushing mark in the process. Peterson averaged six yards a carry last season. It was the first time he was over 4.8 since his rookie season in 2007. I think he will be productive this season, but not to the same degree. I also believe the Vikings will have trouble matching their success of last season.

7. Von Miller, outside linebacker, Denver – I view Miller in a similar light as Watt. Yes, he has carved his reputation as a sack specialist. Yet, he is a versatile football player with smarts, speed and tremendous instincts for the game. He can cover receivers out of the backfield. He can fill a hole and make a tackle at the line of scrimmage. Miller is the type of great player who would flourish in any system, anywhere, and makes the players around him better.

8. Earl Thomas, safety, Seattle – I know this is outside the box. The NFL Network only had Thomas rated 66th, behind even Lions’ middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch, who was 63rd. Safety is an undervalued position until the game actually starts. Then the last line of defense means everything. Thomas is a rangy and tough tackler, can run with even the fastest wide receivers and is extremely smart and instinctive on the field. He was the biggest factor in the Seahawks’ defense emerging among the NFL’s best. He will be an All Pro for years to come.

9. Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants – Eli Manning has won two Super Bowls and has an above .500 playoff record. His brother, Peyton, has won one Super Bowl and has a below .500 playoff record. At 32, Eli Manning is in his prime. At 37, Peyton Manning isn’t. Peyton Manning is still an excellent QB. That isn’t the point. The point is that his brother, currently, is better.

10. Joe Thomas, offensive tackle, Cleveland Browns – The brilliance of Thomas is wasted in the midst of the mess that is the Browns. A truly great run blocker and pass protector, Thomas would be one of the most celebrated players in the game if he was on a better team.

Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and a columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact him at pat.caputo@oakpress.com and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com. You can follow him on Twitter @patcaputo98